to be totally and utterly fed up with the constant requests for money???

[cuppycakesong]

Sometimes I feel that the school is more focused in raising money for charity than in educating our children. I'm quite sick of the constant stream of requests for money and the latest one has really infuriated me. They're doing the smarties for lent scheme followed by so many churches and schools, only with a twist. Each child that brings a tube full of money will get a certificate in assembly. I mean, isn't that just disgusting???? Talk about presurising the parents into giving money so that they don't humiliate your child in front of their peers!! Do we just accept this? Is there no one we can complain to? (anonymously preferably)Children should be rewarded for hard work and not for bringing money (or rather their parents).

YANBU I hate it especially with 4 dc in the school .

done correctly fundraising, education and hard work are mutually reinforcing. sounds to me like your school hasn;t quite got this - there's not much hard work (for the kids) involved in bringing in a tube of money.

PTA possibly? I hate it too, it's not just the charitys either. I just paid £10 for a set of sats revision books, my dd had been told they were being used in class and those who didn't have them would have to sit on library. Am livid!!!

Then the lower school had a skipping workshop in school. They all had to take £1 to cover costs.......and then we were pressurized into buying skipping ropes at £5.50 each!!

Dd at the upper school wants to go on school trip to visit Germany and Berlin, also they are going to auscwichz! £500. She'll go tho as it's for gcse history!!

YANBU

I think that schools should involve children in working to help other people, but not by asking their parents to give money, but by doing things like: picking up litter, giving concerts to people in care homes, making contact with children in other countries etc. That, IMO, is part of the schools duty in educating our children to be a part of society.

It takes a lot of coins to fill a smartie tube, and I need all mine.

I just say "sorry I can't do everything or support every cause"

I mean - get real...

Its hard; charities need the money even moreatm buts do famillies!.

Our juniors setalettertelling parents that if they were strugglinga quick private cat wuld mean the school could help with trips / etcetc; Infantsis not offerin this, pay up or don't go.

I think asking for 'a donation into a tin' is fine- tou can finda few2p's on most high street pavementsafterall (andds2 often does). setting amounts orthings like the sweet tubeis ott at the moment.

I would imagine it would take about a pounds worth of pennies to fill a Smartie tube. If you can't spare a pound then you must be in very very difficult circumstances - perhaps it would be a good idea if you had a owrd with the school?

There is no way a state primary school should ask parents to buy £10 worth of books. Did you check with your dd's teacher just in case she misunderstood?

What does YANBU mean?
I hope I'm not coming across like I don't think charity work is worthwhile. I completely agree with screamingabdad. I also agree with donating money, there's always someone less fortunate than we are, but donations and contributions should be voluntary and anonymous. All a school should do is to try to instill a charitable spirit in students. I'm just livid about the way someone has come up with a way of forcing parents to give money that I believe is wrong and the school is supporting it.

Seeker, it's not a matter of being able to afford the money or not. It's not about the quantity. My issue here is with rewarding children whose parents contribute to the scheme, regardless of the amount.

Why is giving a pound's worth of coppers so wrong?

Am I not speaking clearly here???? It's not about giving money, it's about REWARDING CHILDREN FOR BRINGING MONEY!!! Please somebody tell me you understand me (and sorry for shouting)

actually it doesn't take a lot of coins to fill a smarties tub - (I used to think it did until I did it last year for church and realise it added up really quickly and I didn't miss the 20ps so started saving them as well as the 10,5,2 and 1's )

I can't afford£1 thisweek but all bills etcare paidso thereare worse off by far

yanbu = you are not being unreasonable

I understandabout the reard, is indeed wrong.

Ah, sorry. I was confused by the thread title. Yes, I agree that rewarding children for bringing in money is daft. However, I do think that introducing the idea of charitable giving and that there are children less fortunate than themselves is a very important part of school - and a tube of coppers is a good way to start. Agree about the certificates though.

Bloody hell. I could fill the smarties tube with elc coins and I still wouldn't want to do it as i don't want to participate in a scheme that rewards children for giving money. Somebody tell me you understand my point or I'm leaving.

and aren't they leaving it a bit late for a "lent" thing - it's all but gone now (Lent)

YANBU. Don't like the idea at all, giving money to charity isn't about getting a reward for it. Yes, agree with Screamingabdab that giving your time and support is important, if not more important.

Cheers seeker, i thought i was going mad for a second there

This happened when DS1 was in nursery. They asked us all to fill a smartie tube with coins and then put a big f.o. chart on the wall! It showed in graphic (literally) detail how much who had bought in.

I thought it was foul. This was in one of the most deprived areas of the country and it was 12 years ago when a tube full of twenty Ps was a lot of money.

I used to save my 20s for treats because they add up quickly but you are not tempted to use them (unlike 50s or £1s).

It is great that the school is introducing charity to the kids but there should be some sort of effort involved, not a contest between who has the most money. What does that teach them?

YANBU.

So what would you do? Participate so that DC don't feel embarrased? Say something? And if so, to whom?

I would participate, but I would also go and see the head and explain your objections.

my dds secondary want £25 for trip to london dungeons!£10 of which is a non-refundable deposit so if she is picked to go i will loose,WHAT is the £10 spent on their xmas jolly i suspect.

No - it's spent on the coach. Coaches cost a fortune!

yes but if your child is not going then that deposit doesnt pay for everyone elses child going surely i am not paying for everyone else going and not my daughter.

friday, the comment about spare money being spent on a xmas jolly is out of order

absolutely no parents money is spent on entertainment for teachers, that is a sackable offence